What Is News?

News is information about events that happen in the world. It is presented in newspapers, radio, television and online. News should aim to inform and educate its audience. It may also entertain through humour or the use of photographs and crosswords. However, the main purpose of news is to keep its audience informed about what is happening in their own communities, states and countries.

A news story is made up of many parts, the most important being the headline. This should be catchy and include the most important information of the article. This will decide whether or not the reader reads the entire article. The lead is the first paragraph of the article and should provide a preview of what the rest of the story will contain. In most cases, it will include the basic facts of the story such as how, what and where it happened.

It is often best to let the subjects of the story do the talking in a newspaper article. A good way to do this is to interview them and ask for quotes. This will add depth and meaning to the story without having to impose the writer’s opinion upon the reader.

News stories are usually rated according to their newsworthiness, or ‘news values’. These are defined as being new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. But it must be remembered that a story might not be able to tick all of these boxes. For example, the assassination of Mrs Gandhi might be deemed newsworthy, but not because it is unusual, interesting or significant; rather it is an event that has never been reported before.